As turbulent season ends, Michigan filled with pride: ‘No reason but to hold your head up high’

SAN ANTONIO — Hunter Dickinson sat in front of a microphone, cleared his throat and gazed into the distance. He had just been asked to summarize Michigan’s season — this mercurial roller coaster ride of a season — and he allowed himself a few extra seconds to ponder the answer. 

Pauses are rare for Dickinson, notoriously unfiltered and unafraid to speak his mind. But this time, minutes after Villanova vanquished Michigan’s season, you could see the gears churning inside Dickinson’s mind. 

“Looking back on the season, starting with really high expectations and then we kind of didn’t start the way we wanted to,” he began. “But when I look back on the season, (I’ll remember) probably just how proud (I am) of my guys and how we fought through adversity. We could have easily just gave up on the season halfway when we were like 4-4 in the Big Ten, under .500.

“We fought as hard as we could, and to be able to make the Sweet Sixteen and be one of the last 16 teams standing — we obviously didn’t reach our ultimate goal, but (I’m) just proud of how we fought back and battled through adversity.”